Dynamically displaying media files at fuel dispensers

Abstract

Dynamically displaying media files at a fuel dispenser based on customer input. First, receiving a customer input including data identifying a customer and an indication of initiating a fuel transaction at a fuel dispenser. The data identifying the customer is then sent to an evaluation system. The evaluation system is associated with a database containing data related to multiple customers and configured to evaluate the customer data to generate customer evaluation data. When it is determined that a set of data related to the customer is contained in the database, the evaluation system is caused to retrieve a set of customer evaluation data related to the customer. The retrieved customer evaluation data is then used to determine a specific set of media files. The determined specific set of media files are then displayed at the fuel dispenser that the customer is using or is to use.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer system for dynamically displaying media files at a fuel dispenser based on customer input, the system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors configure the computer system to perform at least the following:
 receive a customer input including at least data identifying a customer and an indication of initiating a fuel transaction at a fuel dispenser; 
 send at least a portion of the received data identifying the customer to an evaluation system, the evaluation system being associated with a database containing data related to a plurality of customers and configured to evaluate the data related to the plurality of customers to generate customer evaluation data; 
 cause the evaluation system to determine whether any data related to the customer is contained in the database based on the data identifying the customer; 
 in response to a determination that a set of data related to the customer is contained in the database,
 cause the evaluation system to retrieve a set of customer evaluation data related to the customer; 
 receive the set of customer evaluation data from the evaluation system; 
 based on the received set of customer evaluation data, determine a specific set of one or more media files that are to be displayed for the customer; and 
 cause the determined specific set of one or more media files to be displayed at the fuel dispenser. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the specific set of one or more media files are selected from a predetermined plurality of media files. 
     
     
         3 . The computer system of  claim 1 , the computer system being further configured to:
 in response to a determination that no data related to the customer is contained in the database,
 determine a different set of one or more media files that are to be displayed to the customer; and 
 cause the determined different set of one or more media files to be displayed at the fuel dispenser. 
   
     
     
         4 . The computer system of  claim 3 , wherein the different set of one or more media files is a set of randomly selected one or more media files. 
     
     
         5 . The computer system of  claim 1 , the computer system being further configured to:
 when the specific set of one or more media files includes a plurality of media files, determine a sequence of the plurality of media files that are to be displayed; and   cause the plurality of media files to be displayed at the fuel dispenser in the determined sequence.   
     
     
         6 . The computer system of  claim 1 , the computer system is further configured to perform:
 receive an indication from a fuel controller that the fuel dispensing transaction is completed, the fuel controller configured to control a plurality of fuel dispensers including the fuel dispenser that the customer is currently at;   send information related to the completed fuel dispensing transaction to the evaluation system; and   cause the evaluation system to update the database based on the information related to the completed fuel dispensing transaction and generate an updated set of evaluation data related to the customer.   
     
     
         7 . The computer system of  claim 1 , the computer system being further configured to:
 send at least a portion of the data identifying the customer to another evaluation system, the other evaluation system being associated with another database containing data related to a plurality of customers and configured to evaluate data related to the plurality of customers to generate other customer evaluation data;   cause the other evaluation system to determine whether any data related to the customer is contained in the other database based on the data identifying the customer;   in response to a determination that another set of data related to the customer is contained in the other database,
 cause the other evaluation system to retrieve a set of other customer evaluation data related to the customer; 
 receive the set of other customer evaluation data from the other evaluation system; 
 based on the received set of other customer evaluation data, determine another specific set of one or more media files that are to be displayed for the customer; and 
 cause the determined other specific set of one or more media files to be displayed at the fuel dispenser. 
   
     
     
         8 . The computer system of  claim 1 , the computer system being further configured to:
 send at least a portion of the data identifying the customer to another evaluation system, the other evaluation system being associated with another database containing data related to a plurality of customers and configured to evaluate data related to the plurality of customers to generate other customer evaluation data;   cause the other evaluation system to determine whether any data related to the customer is contained in the other database based on the data identifying the customer;   in response to a determination that another set of data related to the customer is contained in the other database,
 cause the other evaluation system to retrieve a set of other customer evaluation data related to the customer; 
 receive the set of other customer evaluation data from the other evaluation system; 
 send the set of other customer evaluation data to the evaluation system; 
 cause the evaluation system to further evaluate the set of other customer evaluation data with the set of data contained in the database to generate the set of evaluation data. 
   
     
     
         9 . The computer system of  claim 7 , the computer system being further configured to:
 determine a sequence of the specific set and the other specific set of media files that are to be displayed; and   cause the specific set and the other specific set of media files to be displayed in the determined sequence.   
     
     
         10 . The computer system of  claim 7 , the computer system is further configured to perform:
 receive an indication from the fuel controller that the fuel dispensing transaction is completed; and   cause each of the evaluation system and the other evaluation system to update the respective database based on the information related to the completed fuel dispensing transaction and generate a respective updated set of evaluation data related to the customer.   
     
     
         11 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaluation system is remote to the computer system and is accessible by the computer system via a global network. 
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the customer input includes data identifying the customer's membership, and
 the database includes each of the plurality of customers' membership information, and   for each customer, the customer evaluation data includes at least a classification of the corresponding customer's membership or a point earned by the corresponding customer at least based on the corresponding customer's past completed fuel transactions.   
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the customer input includes credit card information,
 when the credit card is approved, the displaying of the specific set of one or more media files is caused to start by the computer system.   
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the displaying of the specific set of one or more media files is caused to start by a fuel controller that is configured to control the fuel dispenser. 
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the displaying of the specific set of one or more media files is caused to start when the customer starts pumping at the fuel dispenser. 
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the displaying of the specific set of one or more media files is caused to start by an indication input by the customer. 
     
     
         17 . A method for dynamically displaying media files at a fuel dispenser based on customer input, the method comprising:
 receiving a customer input including at least data identifying a customer and an indication of initiating a fuel transaction at a fuel dispenser;   sending at least a portion of the data identifying the customer to an evaluation system, the evaluation system being associated with a database containing data related to a plurality of customers;   causing the evaluation system to determine whether any data related to the customer is contained in the database based on the received data identifying the customer;   in response to a determination that a set of data related to the customer is contained in the database,
 causing the set of data to be evaluated to generate a set of customer evaluation data; 
 receiving the set of customer evaluation data from the evaluation system; 
 based on the received set of customer evaluation data, determining a specific set of one or more media files that are to be displayed for the customer; and 
 causing the determined specific set of one or more media files to be displayed at the fuel dispenser. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , the method further comprising:
 in response to a determination that no data related to the customer is contained in the database,
 determining a different set of one or more media files that are to be displayed to the customer; and 
 causing the determined different set of one or more media files to be displayed at the fuel dispenser. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , the method further comprising:
 sending at least a portion of the data identifying the customer to another evaluation system, the other evaluation system being associated with another database containing data related to a plurality of customers;   causing the other evaluation system to determine whether any data related to the customer is contained in the other database based on the received data identifying the customer;   in response to a determination that another set of data related to the customer is contained in the other database,
 causing the other set of data to be evaluated to generate another set of customer evaluation data; 
 receiving the other set of customer evaluation data from the other evaluation system; 
 based on the received other set of customer evaluation data, determining another specific set of one or more media files that are to be displayed for the customer; and 
 causing the determined other specific set of one or more media files to be displayed at the fuel dispenser. 
   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product comprising one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a computer system to configure the computer system to establish a secure connection between computer systems, the computer-executable instructions including instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to perform at least the following to cause a display at the fuel dispenser to dynamically display media files based on customer input:
 receive a customer input including at least data identifying a customer and an indication of initiating a fuel transaction at a fuel dispenser;   send at least a portion of the data identifying the customer to an evaluation system, the evaluation system being associated with a database containing data related to a plurality of customers;   cause the evaluation system to determine whether any data related to the customer is contained in the database based on the received data identifying the customer;   in response to a determination that a set of data related to the customer is contained in the database,
 cause the set of data to be evaluated to generate a set of customer evaluation data; 
 receive the set of customer evaluation data from the evaluation system; 
 based on the received set of customer evaluation data, determine a specific set of one or more media files that are to be displayed for the customer; and 
 cause the determined specific set of one or more media files to be displayed at the fuel dispenser.